WIESBADEN, Germany - Whether you are an all-weather bike rider or a seasonal one, it pays to keep your trusty two-wheeler in top form. That’s easy thanks to the skilled technicians at the Wiesbaden Outdoor Recreation Bike Repair Shop.
“We’re here to get you out riding,” said ODR Maintenance Mechanic David Webster. “There’s nothing that we can’t do at this point except paint and weld (and E-bike electronic repairs).”
Webster advised cyclists to bring their bikes in for a tune-up at least once a year.
“During a tune-up I go from the front of the bike to the back of the bike,” checking everything from the tires to the derailer, the forks to the brakes, Webster explained.
If the bicycle is deemed to need repairs or replacement parts, Webster said he contacts the owner first to make sure that service should be provided. “We don’t just replace parts. If there’s something I come across during the check-up, we’re not just going to replace that part until you OK it. I’ll give you a price – this is what the part costs and what the repair costs.
“We are far below downtown prices (in most cases),” said Webster. “We try to keep the prices down. Our function here at ODR is to get you outside doing things.”
The ODR Bike Shop is fully equipped with replacement parts which are purchased wholesale, thus keeping the prices down as well. Patrons can buy those parts, ask about available used parts (stripped from donated bicycles) or special order their own parts and bring them to the shop to be installed.
“We carry a lot of stuff – tires, inner tubes, patch kits, chains, pedals, kick stands – they are all part of my inventory,” Webster said. “If it’s not available here, we can special order it. I have catalogs customers can look at.
“This shop never shuts down,” said Webster, pointing out that while the primary Bike Repair season is April through the end of September, “we do bike repairs in between ski and snowboard repairs during the winter season. We realize that a bike may be the only mode of transportation for some people, so we want to help them continue riding. Our commuter riders are our priority.
“We try to accommodate everyone as quickly as possible,” he said, adding that an express option is available for an extra charge “for those who don’t want to wait.”
“We’re unique across the Army in that we can offer full-service bike repairs,” said Outdoor Recreation Director Joseph Harris. “We’re one of the only Outdoor Recreations that offers the extent of bicycle repairs that we can do here in house.”
Harris added that the facility offers free bike safety checks and can assist in packing and unpacking a bicycle before and after a PCS move.
“I take donations of old bicycles whenever I get the chance,” said Webster. “We strip all the parts off and use what we can. If the frame is no good, we give it to the Automotive Skills Center to be recycled. We may have some customers who can’t afford new parts and we may be able to offer recycled parts.”
While there are a few situations where the ODR bike mechanics may send the bike out for repairs – replacing carbon rims and forks for example – almost all work is done in house.
“I hope to get classes going starting in May or June where patrons can bring their bikes in and work on them while learning how to perform repairs,” Webster said, explaining that the aim is to keep the classes small and to begin with the basics and to work up to more advanced repairs. “That way you can learn how to fix your own bike.
“We also offer rental bicycles,” he said. “With every bike rental you get a helmet and a lock. This year we have all new helmets.”
Besides a wide range of bicycle parts, Wiesbaden Outdoor Recreation also sells a wide selection of outdoor gear as part of its Hunting, Fishing and Sport Shooting Program – everything from raincoats to knives to Wiesbaden hats, pins and T-shirts; boots and boot bags; thermal socks; wallets and more, said Al Klaver, Hunting, Fishing and Sport Shooting Program manager.
For more information on Bike Repairs, merchandise available for purchase, upcoming trips and classes, call civ (0611) 143-548-9801 or stop by Building 3400 on Clay North. Outdoor Recreation is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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